1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of storing heat in ice by using refrigerant jet and an apparatus therefor. In particular, the invention relates to a method and device for storing heat in ice by using refrigerant jet, in which liquid phase refrigerant is jetted together with water, and after being jetted the refrigerant evaporates and water comes in contact with the evaporating refrigerant so as to freeze.
2. Description of the Prior Art
From the standpoint of reducing the size of heat storing apparatus, attention has been paid to direct-contact-type heat exchange in which water is brought to direct contact with liquid-phase refrigerant having a low water solubility (including water-insoluble refrigerant, to be referred to as "hardly-water-soluble refrigerant), so as to cool the water with the latent heat of evaporation of evaporating hardly-water-soluble refrigerant until the water freezes. The following three kinds of structures have been proposed to practice such direct-contact-type heat exchange.
A blowing type as shown in FIG. 8: Liquid-phase refrigerant is blown into cooling water 2b in a water tank 1, so as to produce sherbet-like ice 2a.
An individual nozzle type as shown in FIG. 9: Liquid-phase refrigerant from a liquid refrigerant pipe and cooling water from a cooling water return pipe 18 are simultaneously blown into a water tank 1 through refrigerant nozzles 4 and water nozzles 5, respectively, so as to produce water-ice mixture 2.
A chamber type as shown in FIG. 10: Water and refrigerant are mixed in a chamber 25 which is provided in the space above water surface of a water tank 1, and ice slurry produced by the mixing slides down onto the water in the tank 1 through lower opening of the chamber, while evaporated refrigerant gas moves upward to a refrigerant gas outlet pipe 6 through an upper opening of the chamber.
Operation of the blowing type in FIG. 8 will be briefly described in the case of cooling operation. Refrigerant gas, which has evaporated by chilling the cooling water in the water tank 1 after being jetted thereto from a liquid refrigerant pipe 12, moves upward to a refrigerant gas outlet pipe 6 leading to a compressor 7, and after being compressed it is fed to a compressed refrigerant gas pipe 8 leading to a refrigerant condenser 9. After liquefied, the refrigerant returns to the refrigerant liquid pipe 12 through an expansion unit 11, and completes one heat cycle of the refrigerant. The refrigerant condenser 9 is cooled by the outside air. Water-cooled refrigerant condenser 9 can be also used. The cooling water 2b in the water tank 1, which holds stored heat from the jetted refrigerant, is sucked to a cooling water outlet pipe 14 through the lower portion of the tank 1 by a cooling water circulating pump 15.
The cooling water from the circulating pump 15 enters into a cooling water heat-exchanger 16, and gives its heat to load-side piping 17, and then it returns to the water tank 1 through a cooling water return pipe 18, and completes one cycle of cooling water. To separate water and water drop from refrigerant, an eliminator 13 may be provided at the junction between the water tank 1 and the refrigerant gas outlet pipe 6, as shown in FIG. 9.
In the example of FIG. 8, the load-side piping 17 is connected to an air blower 21 which sends cooled air to an air conditioning apparatus 22, so as to accomplish the desired cooling function. A cooling unit 20, which is provided on the cooling water return pipe 18, has refrigerant passages connected to a branch refrigerant pipe extending from a cross valve 19 on the liquid refrigerant pipe 12 to another cross valve 19 on the refrigerant gas outlet pipe 6. Numeral 9a in the drawing shows a liquid receptacle unit for receiving liquid refrigerant dripped from the condenser 9.
In the case of heating operation, the condenser 9 is switched by a suitable switching means (not shown) so as to cause the refrigerant to absorb heat, and the refrigerant gives its absorbed heat to water in the water tank 1 so as to make it warm water.
The operations of the systems of FIGS. 9 and 10, are apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description with respect to the example of FIG. 8.